Help me fine tune my 10-15 Strike Force idea!

Hey guys. I had posted this in another thread but wanted some collaboration from the rest of you on how to fine-tune this idea for a 10-15 Port Oakes Strike Force given to you by Sebastian Frost.

Level ranges 10-15:

Bank Shot

Contact: Sebastian Frost (Located somewhere sensible in Port Oakes)

Concept: Frost is looking for a team of ethically vague cohorts to test out information leaked to him about a sewer tunnel system taking you from a warwall vulnerability in Siren's Call to the Steel Canyon bank.

Mission 1: Get the information: Frost sends you to retrieve the plans from his confidant, only to find out that their hideout has been overrun by Outcasts looking for the same information. In this mission you encounter the Outcasts, and have to escort out the confidant to report back to Frost.

Mission 2: Retrieval: Frost arranges for you to be transported by truck through Atlas Park and into the Hollows, where the Outcast leader Frostfire has undoubtedly received the maps. Your task is to beat down Frostfire and take back the maps. (This mission can, obviously, use the Frostfire map)

Mission 3: Hands in the Pot: Frost, ever the one to love a good game of manipulation, hatches a new side plan. He orders you to take a duplicate of the plans for the "Siren's Tunnel" and raid a troll cave, "losing" the plans. At the same time he will leak a rumor about the Trolls having their hands on some hot information the Outcasts lost, causing chaos between the two factions and distracting the Outcasts from further interference. This mission would feature Trolls and Troll Caves, but please dear God NOT the Atta Map. You would have a glowie objective which requires you to "activate" it by depositing the maps in a pile of crap.

Mission 4: Preparing the Heist: Frost has one more order of business before you can test the waters in Siren's. The hullabaloo regarding the theft of these plans has reached PPD's ears, which has caused heightened security at the bank and a hasty refitting of the vault door. To break that vault door, Frost imagines you're going to need some more firepower. And so he sends you to hijack some sonic tech from the Gold Brickers. But not just any old gold bricker hideout. The tech Frost wants is in the vault behind King Midas' throne itself. Which means you may be in for a heck of a fight. And a cool, never before seen AV and map. (Gold bricks everywhere, random scenery from the game completely golden over from the Midas Touch... that would look SICK in Ultra Mode) You get the Midas Gatling Gun, a sonic tommygun capable of short bursts of energy that weaken almost any surface.

Mission 5: Raiding the bank: I would love to start this mission on the shores of Siren's call with a quick jog to the sewer entrance. I love that view from the blasted warwall into the oilrig area. Then using the RWZ mission tech, you could have the sewer system dovetail into a troll cave (alternating Outcasts and Trolls in groups), and into one of those empty and unused corner offices of the Steel Canyon bank, where you find the Trolls and Outcasts fighting each other for their chance at the loot, and PPD waiting to stop you. You fight through the bank, knock down the vault, and *BOOM* cutscene. Frost has betrayed you and is attempting to backstab you for the lion's share of the loot. You are left to defeat Pitbull (Or someone relevant, I can't remember any Family AVs offhand who could work here), and escape the bank.

Turn-in Reward: Frost plays off the backstabbing as a test of character, saying that he wanted to make sure that you were worth the effort. He pays you your promised portion of the final loot, and waves you off with the escort of security.

Personally, I'd LOVE to see Midas's lair. But all criticisms are welcome!

Switch

Quote:

Originally Posted by Deus_Otiosus This entire post should receive some kind of award for being both hysterical and fantastic. Well done.

The Family has no AVs. They have one existing EB in the form of Emil Marcone. Pitbull as a Lieutenant would be somewhat anticlimactic. Pitbull + Emil Marcone would work though.

Or invent a new Family AV like the Khan/Barracuda TF did with Gyrfalcon.

Good story and nice mission structure, especially the Hollows->Frostfire->Trolls bit.

Also nice to see an SF without a magical component!

Or indeed the involvement of Arachnos. At all.

With the GR dialogue choices being apparent in the i17 content, perhaps the SF could choose to side with either the Trolls or the Outcasts in order to further their goals?

I'm not sure without writing a bunch of stuff myself how the two groups would differ in their involvement if chosen as an ally. I suppose the Outcasts reflect the more Vigilante aspect, because Frostfire used to be a Hero (albeit briefly). The Trolls are nothing more than drug-addled muscle boys BUT they could have a good reason for wanting to close the tunnel between Sirens and Steel, and indeed they are fond of explosives...

And the notion of the tunnel either remaining open or being closed brings me to my first point of criticism:

TFs and SFs are a self-contained story. They don't affect the game World directly (with the exception of the LGTF). So the end of the SF would need to resolve that the tunnel is irreparably closed. Perhaps there could be a swarm of either Trolls or Outcasts at the end of the SF, a zone event with perhaps a badge attached, in Port Oakes and Steel Canyon? The Troll/Outcast riot could depend on who was chosen as an ally.

My second point of criticism is that the Hollows and Steel Canyon aren't joined. Even if this was explained away by the sewer network, why not just pop your head up anywhere you liked and raid the nearest bank?

My third point (not necessarily criticism) will start by stating that I would LOVE to see Midas's Lair! However, as things go its inclusion would mean that the final mission would have to be uber epic: The team has just swarmed through a golden throne room and defeated Midas. That's awesome. So the final mission would have to be equally impressive but in a different way.

So, here's my suggestion for the final mission:

Upon flooring Frost/Family AV (as an AV - why not?) and grabbing the loot, either the Trolls or Outcasts (depending on earlier choice), get mad. They've been planting explosives in this big tunnel and if the team sticks around, they'll be stranded in Steel Canyon.

So, cue cutscene of explosions! Atta or Frostfire drops a match or pushes a plunger.

*SPOILER WARNING*

Similarly to the end of the new villain arc (from Leonard), there's fire everywhere and the team must race through the tunnel to a safe exit point.

Again, using the map->outdoor zone tech shown in the new Adair arc, the team is deposited back in Port Oakes, or at least must run through a facility/warehouse/whatever to get back to the Rogue Isles.

*END SPOILER WARNING*

So, some ideas for you there. Rough ideas that may be full of holes, but ideas nonetheless.